Attachment for trunks.



PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903;

G. ALDEN. ATTAQHMENT FOR TRUNKS.

APBLIQATION FILED MAY 6, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

V .M M

UNITED STATES Patented June 30, 1903.

GEORGE ALDEN, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR TRUN'KS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,493, dated June 30,1903.

Application filed May 6, 1903. Serial No. 155 ,844- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE ALDEN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAttachments for Trunks, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inattachments for trunks, tool-chests, or analogous devices, and relatesspecifically to an attachment adapted to hold the lid of the articlewhen opened in a position whereby the same is prevented from fallingback in a manner which would damage the hinges thereof; and a furtherobject of the invention is to construct a device serving this purposeand also the function of locking drawers or slides in the trunk or chestwhen'the lid is closed.

Briefly described, the invention comprises a barrel or sleeve which isattached to the inner face of the rear wallof the trunk or chest and hasarranged therein a vertically-operative spring-pressed plunger, to theupper end of which is connected a link which is attached to thecompressing-plate that is attached to the lid of the trunk or chest. Thespringpressed plunger is adapted to lock the slides or drawers of thetrunk or chest when the lid is in the closed position, and the above andother details entering into myinvention will be hereinafter fullydescribed, and speence is had to the accompanying drawings,

forming a part of. this specification, and wherein like numerals ofreference indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which-Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view showing my attachmentas applied to a tool-chest and showing in dotted lines the manner inwhich the lid is supported when open. Fig. 2 is a front elevationshowing the drawers removed and the front wall of the chest partlybroken away.

To put my invention into practice, I provide a barrel or sleeve 1, whichis suitably fastened to the inner face of the rear wall 2 of the chestor trunk. A convenient manin Fig. 1 of the drawings.

nerof fastening the same I have found to be to provide the barrel orsleeve 1 with apertured lugs 3, which may be countersunkinto the rearwall 2 and secured by screws or other suitable means, as shown. Thelid4= is suitably hinged to the rear wall 2 of the trunk or chest, andattached to this lid near its lower edge is a compression-plate 5,having a concave or depressed central portion 6 for engagement with theupper end of the springpressed plunger 7. This spring-pressed plunger 7is arranged in the barrel or sleeve 1 and has its lower portion 8reduced in diameter, with the spring 9 arranged thereon between theannular shoulder 10 and the lower end of the barrel or sleeve 1. Theportion 8 of the plunger is extended beyond the lower end of the barrelor sleeve 1 and may be employed for the purpose of looking a series ofdrawers 11 in a manner as is clearly shown The plunger 7 has a screw 12mountedin its upper end, provided with a head 14:, with which is engageda bail 15, that is connected to eyes 16, carried by thecompressing-plate 5. It will of course be evident that the head could beformed direct on the upper end of the plunger 7, though I preferablyconstruct the same in a manner shown and described in order that anyslight adjustment may be made, so as to cause the head 14 to center withthe concave or dished face 6 of the compressingplate. If the lid 4 ofthe trunk or chest is unlocked, the spring 9, acting against theplunger, causes the lid 4 to fly open, due to the pressure of theplunger against the compressing-plate, and as the lid assumes theposition shown in dotted lines itis there held by the bail engagingwiththe' head on the upper end of the plunger. The elevating of theplunger withdraws the portion 8 from engagement with the drawers andallows the same to be withdrawn, if desired.

In the practice of the invention it will be noted that various changesmay be made in the details of construction without departing from thegeneral spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a chest, a barrel or sleeve secured to the innerface of the rear ICO wall thereof, a spring-pressed plunger in saidbarrel or sleeve, a head carried on the upper end of the plunger, acompressing-plate carried by the lid of said chest, and a bailconnecting said plate with the head of the plunger, substantially asdescribed.

2. In combination with a chest, or the like, a barrel or sleeve securedthereto, a springpressed plunger in said barrel 0r sleeve, a headadjustably connected to the upper end of said plunger, acompressing-plate carried by the lid of the chest, and a bail connectingthe plate to the head of the plunger, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a chest, of a barrel of sleeve secured therein, aspring-pressed plunger within the barrel or sleeve and having its lowerend extending below the end of the barrel or sleeve, a compressing-platecarried by the lid of the chest, and connections between the said plateand the spring-pressed plunger, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aifix thy signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE ALDEN.

Witnesses:

H. O. EVERT, GEORGE M. SCHMIDT.

